The present invention relates to a new and distinct blueberry cultivar botanically known as Vaccinium section Cyanococcus L., and herein referred to as ‘Echo’, as herein described and illustrated.
‘Echo’ is a blueberry clone distinguished by its ornamental characteristics that include a spreading bush with glossy leaves, repeat flowering and fruiting, and small, mild flavored dark blue fruit. This new blueberry cultivar was developed in Corvallis, Oreg. in July 2010 and originated from the cross of the female blueberry plant ‘Perpetua’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,209) and the male blueberry plant ORUS 55-1 (unpatented) made in Corvallis, Oreg. in 2006. Both parents are repeat flowering and their ancestry can be traced in part to selections CVAC 45 (PI 296412), which was collected from the wild in 1963 in Monmouth, Me. and CVAC (296397), which was collected from the wild in 1964 in Farmington, Me., and are listed as Vaccinium corymbosum L. (highbush blueberry) by the USDA—ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) (Online Database). Since the wild germplasm ancestry originated from where the ranges of V. corymbosum and V. angustifolium Aiton (lowbush blueberry) overlap and since many of the plant's characteristics for fruit size, leaf shape, and leaf size are intermediate between these two species, ‘Echo’ is presumed to contain both species in its pedigree. ‘Echo's overwintering buds break in the spring, flower and produce a crop like most blueberry plants. ‘Echo’, as with its ‘Perpetua’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,209) maternal parent, is unique in that the new growth produces flower buds that proceed to break bud without winter dormancy and then flower and ripen a late-summer into fall crop. While it is not uncommon for blueberry genotypes to produce a few fruit in the fall on 1-2 buds at the tip of the new growth, these repeat flowering genotypes will flower on up to 12-16 nodes on the new growth. The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated at a nursery in Benton County, Oreg. The new cultivar was established in vitro from a stem cutting and microcuttings have been taken and rooted from this sort of culture. The present invention has been found to be stable and reproduce true to type through successive asexual propagations.